Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (screenplay) and
Sonya Levien (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 November 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

Red-Blooded DRAMA !

Plot:

Before the Revolutionary War farmer Martin brings bride Magdelana the Mohawk Valley where they are burned out by Indians...

Plot Keywords:

New York | Farm | Fort | Farmer | Militia

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Claudette Colbert	...	Lana (Magdelana)
Henry Fonda	...	Gilbert Martin
Edna May Oliver	...	Mrs. McKlennar
Eddie Collins	...	Christian Reall
John Carradine	...	Caldwell
Dorris Bowdon	...	Mary Reall
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Weaver
Arthur Shields	...	Reverend Rosenkrantz
Robert Lowery	...	John Weaver
Roger Imhof	...	Gen. Nicholas Herkimer
Francis Ford	...	Joe Boleo
Ward Bond	...	Adam Hartman
Kay Linaker	...	Mrs. Demooth
Russell Simpson	...	Dr. Petry
Spencer Charters	...	Innkeeper

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved (Certificate #5530) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Australia:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Duck Creek, Kanab, Utah, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Clarence Wilson in the role as "Paymaster" and Lionel Pape in the role of "General" are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members, but they did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gil is running to the next fort for help he crosses a stream with the 3 Indians in hot pursuit. The next scene shows him running into the woods and his pant legs are completely dry.

Quotes:

Reverend Rosenkrantz: O Almighty God, hear us, we beseech Thee, and bring succor and guidance to those we are about to bring to Your divine notice. First we are thinking of Mary Walaber. She is only 16 years old, but she is keeping company with a soldier from Fort Dayton. He's a Massachusetts man, and Thou knowest no good can come of that.

Movie Connections:

Edited into My Country 'Tis of Thee (1950)

Soundtrack:

Yankee Doodle

An Exception To a Rule About American History Films

It is a strange truism about films concerning American History. While some of those films dealing with the Civil War are great ("The General", "Gone With The Wind") or highly respectable ("The Raid", "Gettysburg", "Glory"), this is less true about films about the American Revolution. It's a sad or mediocre commentary. D.W.Griffith's first great feature length film was the controversial - pro K.K.K film: "The Birth OF A Nation". No matter how you hate the film's racism, it's innovation make it a film landmark. But his attempt at a Revolution film, America, was a flop. Just see the titles: "America", "The Howards Of Virginia", "The Devil's Desciple" (slightly better due to its star cast, especially Olivier as "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne), "John Paul Jones", "Lafayette", "Revolution". There are two exceptions. The musical "1776" was a good film, and (despite some historical errors) told the story of the creation of the Declaration of Independence pretty well. This film is the other. It is the only film by John Ford set in the American Revolution (he was more at home in the Indian Wars of the 1870s). It is in glorious color for a 1939 film. It has a dandy cast from Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert as the young married couple, to Edna Mae Oliver, Ward Bond, Arthur Shields, and John Carridine (except that his motivation as a Tory is never developed - possibly his scenes were cut in the editing).

Perhaps it was the source. Walter D. Edmonds is a forgotten writer today, but when I was growing up in the 1960s his novels, "Drums Along The Mohawk" and "Chad Hanna", were still published and read. Interestingly Henry Fonda was also in the film version of that latter novel. Edwards was a regional historical writer (which may explain his contemporary oblivion). All his novels are set in upstate New York, "Chad Hanna" being set in the 1830s. "Drums Along The Mohawk deals with the warfare between settlers in Western New York and the Six Nations of the Iroquois Indians, the latter allied with Tories. It is a grueling warfare - culminating in the battle of Oriskany, where American troops literally slugged it out in forest fighting with the Indians. Commanded by General Nicholas Herkimer (Ralph Imhof in the film)the Americans barely won the battle. Herkimer died of his wounds a few days later (movingly captured in the movie). He is honored today by a county upstate named for him. These events occurred in 1777, and the film seems to end in 1779. It ends with the settlers of the Mohawk River Valley triumphing over the Tories and Indians. What is not shown is what really crushed the Indians - Washington sent General John Sullivan into the area, and in a foreshadowing of the scorched earth policies of General William Tecumseh Sherman, Sullivan burned the Iroquois villages to the ground. It is not a pretty story now, but in that period Sullivan was considered a national hero. Ford does not even touch on that aspect. Probably just as well. But what he does show is first rate Ford, and we are all grateful for that.